


Stumble

by ChibiTabatha



Category: Rhett & Link
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Angst, Comfort, Depression, Excessive Drinking, M/M, Mild Sexual Content, Unhealthy Coping Mechanisms, Whump, excessive partying
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-21
Updated: 2021-01-21
Packaged: 2021-03-13 14:08:00
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,465
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28904613
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChibiTabatha/pseuds/ChibiTabatha
Summary: How many times does he have to stumble and fall on his face before he learns?
Relationships: Rhett McLaughlin & Link Neal, Rhett McLaughlin/Link Neal
Comments: 4
Kudos: 15





	Stumble

**Author's Note:**

> Hi, this idea has been marinating in my brain for a while. It is based on a song called 'Stumble' by Planet Booty. If you can, check it out. I really like it, as you can tell by this whole ass fic. Haha.
> 
> Also thank you to MythicalCatie/thefrenchmaidoutfit for beta reading this, and talking to me last night about this.

Rhett woke up with a pounding headache, his eyes already burning in protest against the soft beam of light falling across them. Groaning, he turned away from the nuisance. Hands landing on warm soft skin, he froze.  
  
Peeling his eyes open, he stared at auburn hair spilling over the pillows. Who on earth was this? She was pretty, in an average sort of way, but he didn’t remember bringing her home with him.  
  
Tired eyes flicked up to where his clock should be, and instead a cat stared him down from a lofty tower.  
  
“Fuck.” He rolled out of bed and scrambled for his clothes.

* * *

“Did you hear? Adrienna brought home another one night stand, but the dude fled before she even woke up!”  
  
Rhett could feel his shoulders reaching for his ears, no one knew it was him. So far none of his one night stands after getting black out drunk could remember him. Thank god for small mercies.  
  
How many times was he going to mess up before he figured it out?

* * *

A small chirping sound, along with the device shimmying along the counter brought his attention to his phone.  
  
_Party on 5th. Be there._

* * *

He really wasn’t going to come to the party. Yet he found himself in a pair of relaxed jeans and a plain black shirt, holding a beer on the fifth floor of the college dorms.  
  
The party floor.  
  
Sighing into his drink, he told himself that he’d only stay for an hour.  
  
Stay just long enough that going to bed wouldn’t be a difficult task.

* * *

This time his body hurt, along with his head. Could feel bruises blooming along his skin.  
  
He must have had a real good time last night, even his ass had that gentle burn from a good railing.  
  
This time, he was prepared to roll out of bed, gather his clothes, and escape.  
  
“Good morning.”  
  
A hand skimmed over his side, and made him jump. How the fuck was the guy already awake?  
  
He rolled over to apologize for what had happened and his mouth went bone dry. Link Neal, the one all the girls and some of the guys were swooning over, was looking at him curiously.  
  
Holy shit, he fucked up real bad.  
  
He slept with one of the most popular guys; He was never going to live this down.   
  
“Let me get my stuff and I’ll get out of your hair.” The sheets rustled as he tried to pull himself out of bed.  
  
A hand on his chest stopped him from fully sitting up. “It’s okay, you probably have the worst hangover of anyone who was at the party.”  
  
He must have been mixing liquor and beer again. Why was he such an embarrassment?

* * *

The inky dark of his room was interrupted by the screen of his phone lighting up.  
  
_You still up?  
  
_Rhett blinked at the phone number. It wasn’t one he could place. One of his many one night stands?  
  
__

_Yeah, what’s up?_

_  
  
_ Faking nonchalance was the best in this case, right?  
  
_ Couldn’t sleep. Wondering if party animal McLaughlin was still up.  
  
_ Who could possibly know his name like that? He didn’t want to know.

* * *

The mystery person kept texting him, and he kept ghosting them. Why would they be interested in someone who could only trip and fall on their face? He was never going to get ahead in life if he kept up this current lifestyle.   
  
But it was the only way he could just _be._

* * *

Three in the morning was probably the worst part of the night. By this time, his mind had run itself in circles and straight into the ground. Tears of frustration, annoyance, and other mottled emotions burned in the corner of his eyes.  
  
He didn’t have a reason to feel like this. He shouldn’t feel like this.

* * *

_ I’m worried about you.  
  
_ The mystery texter was the first person to greet him on his walk of shame home.   
  
What on earth could he say to them in order for them to get a clue that he was a lost cause?  
  
__

_I dont want to go bed,  
_ _so i dance with the devil_

_  
_

* * *

The mystery person seemed to let go after that. No new texts, no emojis. Just blessed silence.  
  
“Rhett!” Link called out to him.  
  
He could feel how other people’s gazes turned towards him while Link caught up to him.  
  
“Uh, hey,” his voice was strained with his embarrassment.  
  
“You busy tonight?” Big blue eyes blinked up at him.  
  
“No?”  
  
Link seemed to nod to himself, before those intense eyes locked back onto him. “I’m having a party at my place. You should come.”  
  
Rhett swallowed, but nodded. His usual party buddies were busy, so it made sense that they didn’t tell him about this one. “Okay. I’ll be there.”

* * *

Heart lodged in his throat, he felt like a deer caught in headlights moments before the final blow.  
  
There was no party, it was just Link. Just him and Link.  
  
A glass was placed on the coffee table in front of him. “So,” Link’s voice was soft as he sat beside Rhett on the couch.  
  
“What’s the deal? You said there was a party.”  
  
Link huffed a small, depreciating laugh. “It was the only way to get you here. You weren’t exactly open to texting.”  
  
Rhett groaned internally, shoving a hand through his hair. Of  _ course _ Link was the one texting him. It couldn’t have been someone else? Anyone else.  
  
“Why are you wasting your time?”  
  
Link shifted next to him on the couch, and he could feel the weight of that blue gaze on the side of his face. But he refused to look anywhere other than his loosely clenched hands hanging between his legs.  
  
“I don’t think it's a waste of time.”  
  
Rhett turned to argue, but something in those watery depths held him in place.   
  
“You do your best, and you get brushed aside all the time. I see it. You’re a big dude, but you seem like you’re scared of just taking up your allotted space. You seem to be drowning yourself to be able to sleep. But is it really helping you? It hurts watching you dance with the devil into the night. I want to help you.”  
  
Rhett could feel the tears pushing against his eyes. “How could you possibly take me out from the darkness and into the light?”  
  
Link held out a tentative hand, before gently grasping Rhett’s shoulder. “I don’t know. But I want to be here for you. If you let me.”  
  
Rhett turned towards the other man, curling into his chest even as large silent tears chased each other across his cheeks, racing towards the other’s chest.  
  
“Help me.”

* * *

Rhett woke up with a small twinge of his back. Sleeping on couches was always a bad idea, but he had been too emotionally drained to get up.  
  
A soft hand brushed through his hair, as if trying to soothe his thoughts before they could start to spiral.  
  
It seemed to work, he could feel his body settling down, relaxing as long fingers danced through blond locks.  
  
“Good morning.”  
  
“‘Morning,” he mumbled before turning his face down into the warmth of the lap underneath him.   
  
Link’s back and neck must be in agony, but neither man made an attempt to move.   
  
“Did we take the first step to breaking the chains that shackle you?”  
  
Rhett thought for a moment before turning towards the other man. “I think I’m still a prisoner of the night. But I think this really helped me.”  
  
And it shocked him how true those words felt to him, but then the doubt creeped in. Link was going to doubt what he said.  
  
Why was he always going to do this and trip hims-  
  
“That’s good. I’ll gladly do this every night.”  
  
He could feel his jaw open slightly. “What?”  
  
“I told you I wanted to help. And you asked me to help you, so I will. However I can.”  
  
More tears spilled from the corners of his eyes, dripping into his ears and into his hair. How could someone want someone so broken?  
  
Warm fingers wiped at the damp trails. “It’s okay. Let it all out.”  
  
Rhett curled into Link’s awkward embrace, bawling his eyes out.

* * *

“Morning Rhett.”  
  
He could only manage a grunt.  
  
“May I kiss you? One grunt for no, two for yes.”  
  
He almost snorted, but didn’t want it to be taken as a grunt by accident. He turned towards his boyfriend and grunted in his throat twice.  
  
A smile warmer than the sun shining through the window was his gift before soft lips pressed to his.  
  
Some days were good, others not so much.  
  
But he no longer was afraid to go to bed.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed this, as always, yell at me below or over on [tumblr](https://chibitabathasloves.tumblr.com/).


End file.
